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Australia is one of the countries most at risk from climate change, and wind power is an increasingly important part of its renewable energy sector. The country's wind turbines are getting bigger, and bigger turbines are better: they produce more power and are more efficient. Australia's largest wind turbine to date, a 6MW turbine, has been installed in what will be the country's biggest wind project in New South Wales. The Vestas V162 6.0MW machine has a tip height of 200 metres and 79-metre-long blades. However, a proposal for 270m tall wind turbines on Robbins Island in Tasmania has been controversial.
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What You'll Learn
Australia's largest wind turbines
Australia's wind energy sector is growing, with wind power accounting for 13.4% of the country's total electricity production in 2024. As of 2025, all of Australia's wind capacity is onshore, but the country's first offshore wind zone was designated in December 2022.
The largest wind turbines in Australia are located at the Dulacca Wind Farm in Queensland. These turbines stand at 230 metres tall and are expected to generate enough energy to power over 54,000 homes. The project is part of Queensland's journey to achieving 70% renewable energy by 2032.
The first 6MW wind turbine in Australia was installed at the Rye Park Wind Farm in New South Wales in January 2023. The Vestas V162 6.0MW machine has a tip height of 200 metres and is the largest wind turbine in the country to date. The Rye Park wind project is expected to be the biggest wind farm in New South Wales, with 66 turbines in total.
There have been proposals for even taller wind turbines in Australia. In 2019, a proposal for 270-metre-tall wind turbines on Robbins Island in Tasmania sparked controversy. These turbines would be extraordinarily tall, even surpassing the height of some of the world's largest wind turbine designs.
As wind turbines grow taller and larger, there are engineering challenges to consider, such as noise and blade design. Additionally, environmental impacts, noise concerns, visual impacts, and community acceptance play a role in the development of wind farms. Despite these considerations, wind energy is one of the most cost-efficient renewable energy sources in Australia, and the country has abundant wind resources to support its renewable energy sector.
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Typical onshore turbine size
Onshore wind turbines are the most common type of wind turbine in Australia. Typically, onshore turbines have blades between 40 and 90 metres long, with tower heights of around 150 metres.
The size of wind turbines is increasing, with taller towers and longer blades becoming more common. Taller wind turbines are more efficient because wind velocity is higher at greater altitudes. Additionally, longer blades can capture more wind, increasing the amount of power that can be generated.
The largest onshore wind farm in Australia is the Coopers Gap Wind Farm in Queensland, with a capacity of 453 MW. The tallest wind turbines in Australia are those at the Dulacca Wind Farm in Queensland, which stand at 230 metres tall.
In January 2023, Australia's biggest wind turbine was installed at the Rye Park Wind Farm in New South Wales. The Vestas V162 6.0MW machine has a tip height of 200 metres and is the first of 66 such machines to be installed at the wind farm.
There has been some controversy surrounding the proposal to build wind turbines on Robbins Island in Tasmania. Despite objections from some, the trend towards taller wind turbines is likely to continue.
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Taller wind towers
In Australia, wind power accounted for 13.4% of the country's total electricity production in 2024. Most of the country's wind farms are situated in coastal areas. The largest wind farm is Coopers Gap Wind Farm in Queensland, which began generating electricity to the grid in June 2019, with a capacity of 453 MW.
As wind power becomes more popular, wind towers are getting taller. Taller towers can accommodate longer blades, which can capture more wind and increase the amount of power generated. Additionally, wind velocity is higher at greater altitudes, so taller towers can access stronger winds.
However, designing taller wind towers comes with engineering challenges. One challenge is the increased cost of materials and labour. Infrastructure issues, such as bridges, tunnels, and winding roads, can also hinder the transportation of larger components. To address these challenges, new technologies like spiral welding have been introduced to reduce the amount of steel needed and cut costs.
In Australia, the first 6MW wind turbine, the largest in the country to date, has been installed at what will be the biggest wind farm in the state of New South Wales. The Vestas V162 6.0MW machine has a tip height of 200 metres. There has also been a proposal for 270-metre-tall wind turbines on Robbins Island in Tasmania, which would be extraordinarily tall.
As the demand for wind energy grows, companies are developing innovative solutions to support the construction of taller wind towers and improve their safety, efficiency, and reliability.
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Wind power in Australia
Australia has abundant wind resources, and wind power is a major contributor to the country's electricity supply. In 2024, wind power accounted for 13.4% of Australia's total electricity production. Most of Australia's wind farms are situated in coastal areas, and the southern coastline lies in the Roaring Forties, with average wind speeds above 8-9 m/s at turbine hub height.
The size of wind turbines is increasing, with taller towers and longer blades capturing more wind energy. Onshore turbines, the most common type in Australia, typically have blades between 40 and 90 metres long, with tower heights of around 150 metres. A recent trend has seen proposals for even taller turbines, such as the 270-metre-high towers planned for Robbins Island in Tasmania.
Wind energy is a cost-effective renewable energy source, and it has been found to be competitive with coal and gas-fired power stations when the costs associated with pollution are factored in. By 2014, wind power had the lowest levelised cost of energy (LCOE) of any power source in Australia.
The Australian government has implemented initiatives to promote wind power and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, such as the Mandatory Renewable Energy Target (MRET). Victoria has been a leader in wind power generation, with approximately 33.7% of Australia's wind generation credited to this state alone. The largest wind farm in Australia is currently the Coopers Gap Wind Farm in Queensland, with a capacity of 453 MW.
Australia's first gigawatt-scale wind project is under construction in southeast Acciona, Queensland, and will comprise two wind farms: the MacIntyre facility and the Karara Wind Farm. This facility will be capable of generating enough clean electricity to power 700,000 homes.
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Wind farms in Australia
Australia is one of the countries most at risk from climate change, and wind energy is one of its main sources of renewable energy. Wind power accounted for 13.4% of Australia's total electricity production in 2024, and the country is expected to grow its renewable energy sector.
Wind turbines are getting taller and bigger, and bigger turbines are better. The bigger the radius of the rotor blades, the more wind can be used to turn into torque, which drives the electrical generators in the hub. Taller turbines can also take advantage of higher wind velocities at higher altitudes. However, bigger turbines also create more noise, which can be a concern for local communities.
The largest wind farm in Australia is the Coopers Gap Wind Farm in Queensland, which has a capacity of 453 MW. The largest wind turbine in the country, a 6MW turbine with a tip height of 200 metres, has been installed at what will be the biggest wind farm in the state of New South Wales. The Rye Park Wind Farm will have 66 turbines and a capacity of 396 MW.
In 2018, there were 94 wind farms in Australia, delivering nearly 16 GW of wind generation capacity. Wind energy is one of the lowest-cost sources of new electricity supply in Australia, and the cost is expected to continue falling. A 2012 study found that wind farms delivered various benefits for every 50 MW in capacity.
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Frequently asked questions
The size of wind turbines in Australia varies, but they are getting bigger. The largest wind turbine in Australia to date, installed in January 2023, is the Vestas V162 6.0MW machine, with a tip height of 200 metres. It is located at the Rye Park Wind Farm in New South Wales.
Bigger wind turbines are more efficient. The larger the rotor blades, the more wind can be used to turn into torque, which drives the electrical generators. Taller turbines can also access stronger winds at higher altitudes.
Australia's wind turbines are typically smaller than those in Europe, where offshore turbines are more common. Offshore turbines are generally much larger than the onshore variety, which are more common in Australia.
